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Camino Lebaniego Castellano
  • Laurie Reynolds
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  • Laurie Reynolds

Camino Lebaniego Castellano

An open-ended adventure by Laurie Read more
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    🇪🇸 Palencia, Spain
    Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    543My table for one.3

    Day in Palencia

    Yesterday in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Because yesterday was a holiday, I couldn’t get my Spanish SIM card. So that means spending another day in this nice little city.

    I also needed to get fruit and water for walking, sunscreen, and stamps to send postcards home to my grandkids. All of that was easy to do on the city’s Calle Mayor.

    In late morning, I took a taxi to the 7th century church in Baños de Cerrato, built in 661 by a Visigothic king. Many sources say that it is the oldest church in Spain. King Recesvinto had just defeated the vascones, a fierce Iberian tribe (from whom the Basques descended), but was suffering from a kidney ailment. The curative waters in Baños de Cerrato took care of the problem, and he erected the church in gratitude. That’s one story, anyway.

    I was not expecting it to be so beautiful inside. The Roman columns with Visigothic capitals, with the cimacios above to equalize the height for the horseshoe arches on top, and oh those horseshoe arches. It was one of the most beautiful interiors I’ve ever seen in such an ancient church. The guide was a medieval historian, and since I was the only one there, I got a private tour. Plus, lots of quiet time just sitting and contemplating. It was really something.

    I am very glad that I made a reservation for this afternoon’s lunch from home. Everything is overbooked on this holiday weekend – yesterday was May 1, and tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I did a bit of research and found San Remo— out of the center so I would walk around a new part of town. Totally unassuming, but wow! I think this is the best sea bass I’ve ever had. And very glad to have a 45 minute walk back to my hotel, it was overindulgence.

    The weather forecast is not great, very changeable. But I am very ready for this Camino to begin, rain or no rain!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    122Never saw that before!11The "negrillo" opens his mouth when the guy on the right strikes the hour. In the cathedral???1123

    Madrid to Palencia

    May 1 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I was able to sleep for about four hours on the plane after watching The Devil Wears Prada. I do love Meryl Streep. And now I am ready for the heavily advertised sequel!

    I had a couple of hours before my train, which left from Chamartín. Not exactly a great place to stroll around, but it was better than sitting in the station. And I did get over to the Plaza de Castilla for a good café con leche.

    The train from Madrid to Palencia takes only a little more than an hour, and by 12:30 I was in the tourist office. The nice woman working there helped me to make my list —
    the cathedral (with its amazing 7th century crypt, renovated in the 11th century), the archaeological museum, several Romanesque churches, and one of the oldest churches in Spain, San Juan de Baños, from the 7C, about 15 km out of town.

    I’ve spent several hours visiting some of the places, and after an excellent arugula/goat cheese/veggies salad, I went back to the cathedral to take the rooftop tour. Palencia is like so many other small Castilian cities— a smattering of important historic sites, some beautiful old buildings on pedestrianized streets, and a population that loves to stroll through downtown in the afternoon and early evening while engaged in lively conversation.

    When you see a line outside a bar waiting for it to open, it’s a pretty good guess that there will be good tapas. And there were! Bar Moño.

    My goal is to stay up till 10, and I’m within eight minutes of my goal, so I am going to bed. Hoping not to wake up in the middle of the night.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    6Under 9 pounds without good and water but with the hiking poles!
    Advertising for this movie is all over this airport!

    Travel Day

    April 30 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    I got up at 2 a.m. to do my elliptical workout so that I would be very sleepy for my transatlantic flight later today. I always used to do this on my camino travel day, but fell out of the habit. I recently realized that my only majorly bad travel days (like forgetting my passport, forgetting my green fleece, missing a connection) had been days that I hadn’t exercised. So I decided that since I needed all the good luck charms I could get, I had better reinstate the ritual.

    Since I had such a great camino last year in beautiful mountain areas, I landed on another mountainous walk for this year. I’ll start in Palencia, a small city about 250 km northwest of Madrid. The destination is the monastery of Santo Toribio, a medieval pilgrimage site in its own right, home of the largest piece of the lignum crucis, or so I’ve been told. I am hoping to continue on to the coast after that, and then spend a few days walking backwards on the Norte. 3 weeks is about the maximum I feel comfortable with, given things at home, so those longer Caminos may be a thing of the past.

    I packed my pack last night and am sure my camino friends will be glad to hear that I have finally moved on from the plastic bag method of packing. I got some stuff sacks and cotton laundry bags, thanks to some forum help. But one thing remains unchanged – my green fleece is heading out on its 26th camino.

    I am aware of how very lucky I am to be starting out yet again. At my age, I know that I can’t take anything for granted. I hope, if something bad happens, that I will be able to accept it and deal with it. But for now, I am eager to get going.

    All travel so far has been smooth. I made a 35 minute connection time in Chicago without having to even walk fast. I’m now in JFK, boarding the plane to Madrid. Not much to show in the way of pictures, but tomorrow —Palencia!    Read more

    Trip start
    April 30, 2026
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